3 Definitions and abbreviations

32.106-83GPPConfiguration Management (CM)Part 8: Name convention for Managed ObjectsRelease 1999Telecommunication managementTS

3.1 Definitions

For the purposes of the present document, the following terms and definitions apply. This subclause defines terms essential for understanding of name convention in the IRP context. For terms and definitions not found here, please refer to 3G TS 32.101 [11] and 3G TS  32.102 [12].

3.1.1 IRPAgent

See 3G TS  32.102 [12].

3.1.2 IRPManager

See 3G TS  32.102 [12].

3.1.3 Managed Object and Network Resource

In the context of the present document, a Managed Object (MO) is a software object that encapsulates the manageable characteristics and behaviour of a particular network resource. Examples of network resource are switch, scanner for monitoring performance data, cell, site, transmission links, satellite, operator profile, etc. In the present document, MO sometimes is referred to as MO instance.

3.1.4 Name

In the context of the present document, a name is restricted to the identification of a MO, that is, a software object representing a real network resource.

3.1.5 Name space

A name space is a collection of names. This name convention uses a hierarchical containment structure, including its simplest form – the one-level, flat name space. This name convention does not support an arbitrarily connected name space, or graph structure, in which a named object can be both child and parent of another named object.
Figure 1 shows some examples of supported and unsupported name spaces (this figure is from T. Howes, ISBN 1-57870-070-1 [3] and it provides useful information on name space design).

Figure 1: Examples of supported and unsupported name spaces

3.1.6 Global Root and Local Root

Names in name space are organised in hierarchy. An MO instance that contains another one is referred to as the superior (parent), whereas the contained MO instance is referred to as the subordinate (child).

In modern network management, it is expected that the Enterprise name space be partitioned for implementations in multiple managed system (see Annex C for reasons of name space partitioning). The parent of all MO instances in a single managed system is called the Local Root. The ultimate parent of all MO instances of all managed systems is called the Global Root.

3.1.7 Distinguished Name and Relative Distinguished Name

A Distinguished Name (DN) is used to uniquely identify a MO within a name space. A DN is built from a series of “name components”, referred to as Relative Distinguished Names (RDNs). ITU-T Recommendation X.500 [2] defines the concepts of DN and RDN in detail, using ASN.1, in the following way:

DistinguishedName ::= RDNSequence

RDNSequence ::= SEQUENCE OF RelativeDistinguishedName

RelativeDistinguishedName ::= SET SIZE (1..MAX) OFAttributeTypeAndValue

AttributeTypeAndValue ::= SEQUENCE {

type AttributeType, value AttributeValue}

The present document references this ASN.1 structure but it only uses single-valued (not multi-valued) RDN.

From a DN of a MO, one can derive the DN of its containing MO, if any. This containment relation is the only relation carried by the DN. No other relation can be carried or implied by the DN.

See Annex B for a rule for MO designers to avoid ambiguity concerning the AttributeType of a DN string.

See Annex C for discussion of DN prefix.

3.2 Abbreviations

For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:

ASN.1 Abstract Syntax Notation One

BER Basic Encoding Rules

BNF Backus-Naur Form

CM Configuration Management

CMIP Common Management Information Protocol

CORBA Common Object Request Broker Architecture

DC Domain Component

DN Distinguished Name

DNS Domain Name Service

EM Element Manager

FM Fault Management

IETF Internet Engineering Task Force

IRP Integration Reference Point

ITU-T International Telecommunication Union, Telecommunication Standardisation Sector

LDN Local Distinguished Name

MIB Management Information Base

MIM Management Information Model

MO Managed Object

MOC Managed Object Class

MOI Managed Object Instance

NE Network Element

NM Network Manager

NR Network Resource

NRM Network Resource Model

OMG Object Management Group

RDN Relative Distinguished Name

UML Unified Modelling Language (OMG)